Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Monday 30 August 1999

Continental Tyres

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support packages for the Newbridge plant of Continental Tyres have been presented to the German management of Continental Tyres, including any offers made prior to the announcement on the proposed closure of the Newbridge plant.

Henry McLeish: On many occasions, both I and my Ministerial and official colleagues have offered our help to the Newbridge plant. I have personally stressed to Continental management both here and in Germany, the willingness of the Scottish Executive to discuss ways in which we could assist the company to retain a presence in Scotland.

  Since the announcement of the decision to close the plant, immediate efforts have been directed to helping the workforce. I have set up an Action Team which will also do everything possible to help those affected find suitable alternative employment.

Continental Tyres

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it has had with the German management of Continental Tyres since the company announced a consultation process on the future of the Newbridge plant on 15 July 1999 and what was the content of these communications.

Henry McLeish: Myself and my Ministerial and official colleagues have had frequent and detailed discussions with Continental Tyres over a lengthy period to try to secure the future of the Newbridge plant. These discussions have taken place both prior to and since the formation of the Scottish Executive.

Continental Tyres

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it intends to provide to help find a buyer for the Continental Tyres plant at Newbridge.

Henry McLeish: The Newbridge plant is owned by Continental Tyres and decisions on the sale of it will rest with the company.

  Since the announcement of the decision to close the plant, the Scottish Executive has been directing its immediate efforts towards helping the workforce. I have set up an Action Team which will do everything possible to help those affected find suitable alternative employment.

Education

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide an estimate of core spending on education in each local authority area in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99 and (d) 1999-2000.

Peter Peacock: The available information is given in the table. A number of changes in grant arrangements for pre-school provision were made over the years in question. Care should, therefore, be taken in making comparisons between years. Final outturn figures for any year are higher than provisional outturn and budget estimate figures and that should be recognised in making comparisons between years.

  

Education 

Revenue Expenditure by Scottish Local Authorities 




1996-97 


1996-97 

  


1996-97 

  


1997-98 


1997/98 


1997-98 

  


1998-99 


1998-99 


1999-2000 

  




Budget 


Provisional 

  


Final 

  


Budget 


Provisional 

  


Final 

  


Budget 


Provisional 

  


Budget 




Estimate 

  


Outturn 

  


Outturn 

  


Estimate 

  


Outturn 


Outturn 

  


Estimate 

  


Outturn 


Estimate 

  




£000 


£000 


£000 


£000 


£000 


£000 


£000 


£000 


£000 



Aberdeen 

City 

85,976 


86,648 


86,785 


85,588 


86,437 


86,962 


90,094 


91,585 


97,369 



Aberdeenshire 

  

109,644 


109,028 


109,686 


107,095 


112,025 


112,185 


114,519 


118,818 


126,917 



Angus 

  

47,860 


47,860 


47,898 


47,863 


48,192 


48,547 


51,091 


51,589 


56,157 



Argyll 

& Bute 

45,680 


46,582 


49,507 


47,168 


47,188 


48,308 


50,347 


50,678 


52,992 



Clackmannanshire 

  

23,734 


25,308 


24,084 


24,600 


24,458 


23,616 


25,790 


25,727 


27,701 



Dumfries 

& Galloway 

67,433 


67,644 


67,532 


67,508 


69,214 


68,026 


72,209 


72,968 


79,543 



Dundee 

City 

69,512 


69,942 


70,320 


68,120 


69,074 


70,437 


70,605 


71,688 


77,454 



East 

Ayrshire 

56,823 


57,946 


58,593 


58,125 


58,104 


59,074 


61,853 


62,576 


68,210 



East 

Dunbartonshire 

50,747 


54,305 


53,077 


52,943 


51,531 


50,849 


55,061 


56,117 


62,897 



East 

Lothian 

35,241 


35,304 


37,557 


36,019 


36,970 


37,872 


39,423 


41,084 


45,565 



East 

Renfrewshire 

39,617 


40,718 


43,939 


40,590 


41,980 


42,903 


45,151 


47,119 


51,660 



Edinburgh, 

City of 

157,552 


159,253 


159,097 


156,049 


159,859 


163,027 


167,753 


171,656 


185,682 



Eilean 

Siar 

23,415 


23,752 


23,591 


23,476 


23,523 


23,583 


24,934 


25,283 


26,527 



Falkirk 

  

61,280 


61,294 


62,512 


61,158 


61,704 


62,542 


65,780 


68,612 


73,546 



Fife 

  

162,139 


163,950 


166,290 


160,082 


164,946 


163,005 


170,714 


172,105 


183,799 



Glasgow 

City 

267,760 


264,725 


286,496 


272,675 


273,361 


267,699 


293,908 


294,666 


303,219 



Highland 

  

110,154 


110,290 


114,011 


111,322 


113,125 


114,047 


118,393 


119,405 


129,220 



Inverclyde 

  

41,652 


42,234 


42,777 


43,321 


42,884 


41,864 


46,546 


45,723 


49,402 



Midlothian 

  

40,238 


40,700 


40,578 


40,494 


40,721 


41,281 


42,435 


43,281 


46,743 



Moray 

  

41,597 


40,537 


41,429 


40,010 


39,903 


41,028 


43,105 


43,917 


48,407 



North 

Ayrshire 

61,561 


62,838 


65,196 


65,357 


67,212 


66,805 


70,452 


71,526 


78,245 



North 

Lanarkshire 

158,311 


159,436 


160,123 


161,098 


159,380 


163,680 


169,001 


169,034 


181,753 



Orkney 

Islands 

14,935 


14,822 


14,839 


15,151 


14,980 


15,092 


15,596 


15,513 


17,005 



Perth 

& Kinross 

55,625 


57,127 


56,074 


57,348 


56,677 


58,231 


60,210 


60,997 


66,401 



Renfrewshire 

  

80,777 


81,676 


82,481 


81,607 


82,199 


81,953 


86,386 


86,116 


94,645 



Scottish 

Borders 

46,606 


47,075 


48,314 


46,268 


46,928 


48,148 


48,824 


49,926 


54,151 



Shetland 

Islands 

25,869 


22,489 


22,224 


23,384 


23,384 


22,402 


24,201 


24,379 


26,418 



South 

Ayrshire 

50,435 


50,897 


52,437 


50,275 


50,656 


50,531 


48,295 


50,730 


52,623 



South 

Lanarkshire 

135,379 


138,256 


145,592 


138,811 


143,589 


145,127 


144,135 


148,149 


158,430 



Stirling 

  

38,370 


38,769 


40,363 


37,599 


36,802 


39,663 


40,440 


43,061 


46,622 



West 

Dunbartonshire 

50,297 


51,407 


49,655 


50,795 


50,439 


49,068 


54,585 


54,207 


57,294 



West 

Lothian 

76,800 


76,657 


77,422 


77,057 


77,700 


76,269 


81,016 


81,872 


88,500 



Pre-School 

Vouchers 

- 


- 


- 


48,391 


48,391 


48,391 


18,720 


18,720 


- 



Scotland 

  

2,333,019 


2,349,469 




2,400,479 




2,397,347 


2,423,536 


2,432,215 




2,511,572 


2,548,827 


2,715,097 




  Notes

  1. Figures represent net revenue expenditure met from council tax, non-domestic rates and Government grants, excluding loan charges and revenue contributions to capital.

  2. Pre-School voucher payments by financial year are not available on an authority basis. Total voucher payments during 1997-98 and from April to June 1998 are shown above.

  3. The 1998-99 and 1999-2000 figures include pre-school grant payments to each authority.

  4. The 1997-98 data is "near" final and may be subject to change.

  Source: As reported by authorities on their Local Financial Returns (LFR 1) for 1996-97 and 1997-98 and the Provisional Outturn & Budget Estimate (POBE) return for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 (except for pre-school voucher and grant payments).

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government about the effect which the high value of Sterling has on export, market and investment decisions made by international export companies with plants in Scotland such as Continental Tyres.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a range of issues, including financial and economic matters.

Scottish Executive

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any changes in the remit and title of any of its members, since its establishment and the reasons for any such changes.

Donald Dewar: There have been no changes of material significance. Such changes as have been made have been for clarity and administrative efficiency.

Scottish Executive

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a list of Ministers and departments, together with their current departmental addresses, telephone numbers and private office contact details.

Donald Dewar: A list will be provided shortly to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Committees

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether individuals, organisations and companies to be called to provide evidence to Parliamentary Committees will be required to formally declare any interests which they may have relating to the relevant subject matter prior to being interviewed or questioned by the Committee.

Sir David Steel: Standing Orders do not require individuals or organisations giving evidence to Committees of the Parliament to make a declaration of interests before being questioned. It is open to Committees to ask for such a declaration where they consider it relevant.